Genetic control and paratransgenesis of mosquito-borne diseases
Author of the article:CUI Chun-Lai1, 2** CHEN Jing-Jing1, 2** WANG Si-Bao2***
Author's Workplace：. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; 2. Key Laboratory of Insect Development andEvolutionary Biology, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
Key Words：mosquito, vector-born disease, genetic engineering, symbiotic microbes, blocking transmission
Abstract：Mosquitoes are vectors of major infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, etc. Mosquito control is the key to block the spread of the diseases. Continuous emergence of mosquito insecticide resistance and parasite drug resistance, combined with the lack of an effective malaria vaccine severely limits our ability to contain this intolerable burden. New weapons to fight the diseases are urgently needed. Successful development of the disease pathogens in vector mosquito is requirement for transmission to occur. In the mosquito, only a small proportion of the pathogens (malaria parasite, etc.) survive in the midgut lumen. Thus, the severe bottleneck in the mosquito makes midgut a prime target for blocking transmission of the diseases. Mosquito transgenesis and paratransgenesis have been considered as the two promising novel control strategies that aim at interrupting transmission of the diseases. Mosquito transgenesis is direct genetic modification of the mosquito itself for production of anti-mosquito or anti-pathogen effector molecules. Conversely, paratransgenesis involves the genetic engineering of mosquito symbionts for delivery of the effector molecules in mosquito. Here we summarize the progress of both genetic manipulation strategies for control of the mosquito-born diseases, and also discuss challenges for the translation of laboratory findings to practical applications.